Greenhouse gas emissions contribute to harmful climate change. Yet curbing emissions is not the only way to limit harm from climate change and it may not even be the best way. Much of the risk from climate change arises from its effects on less developed countries. Growth of the palm oil sector has proven to be a potent engine for economic progress. It has conferred gains on both producers and consumers. Policy-makers should assess palm oil as both a source of emissions and a source of development. Instead, U.S. and EU climate policy has viewed the palm oil sector almost entirely within the narrow framework of their biofuels programs. Their policies stand on weak data, flawed theories, hidden motives, and subjective standards.